Edward Dillon (actor)

Edward Dillon
Dillon in Ethel Gets Consent (1915)
Born1872 or 1873
New York City, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 1933(1933-07-11) (aged 60)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Other namesEddie Dillon
Occupations
  • Actor
  • film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1905–1932
RelativesJohn T. Dillon (brother)

Edward Dillon (1872 or 1873[1] or 1879[2] or 1882[3]– July 11, 1933) was an American actor, director and screenwriter of the silent era.[4]

Early and personal life

Dillon was born in 1872, 1873, 1879 or 1882, in New York City. His brother John T. Dillon was also an actor.[1] He married Franc Newman in October 1914, and they divorced sometime before 1930.[5][6] Newman kept her married name, Dillon.[7] She attended his funeral in 1933, and afterward listed herself as a widow rather than divorced.[8]

Career

Dillon's work on Broadway included acting in Prince Otto (1900), Francesca da Rimini (1901), The Taming of the Shrew (1905), and The Ranger (1907).[9] He left the stage to begin acting in films in 1908, working under D. W. Griffith at Biograph.[10] He performed in more than 320 films between 1905 and 1932 and also directed 134 productions between 1913 and 1926. He was Mary Pickford's first leading man, and he was instrumental in Fay Tincher's developing into a star.[1] He was known as an "ace" director for D. W. Griffith.[11] In 1915 he was described as a director for Komic Pictures Company when a fire devastated his home.[12]

Dillon died on July 11, 1933, at the age of 60 in Hollywood, California from a heart attack.[1]

Selected filmography

Actor

Director

Radio

The Edwin/Dillon Show (January 15, 1928 – July 13, 1928) (Distributed by KSTP St. Paul and The Film Booking Offices of America)

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Edward Dillon". The New York Times. July 12, 1933. p. 17. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  2. ^ Kear, Lynn; King, James (2009). Evelyn Brent: The Life and Films of Hollywood's Lady Crook. McFarland. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-7864-5468-6. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  3. ^ His marriage license shows that he was 32 on October 14, 1914, but he may have lowered his age when working in Hollywood. State of California, County of Los Angeles, Marriage License, October 14, 1914.
  4. ^ "Edward Dillon". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  5. ^ State of California, County of Los Angeles, Marriage License, October 14, 1914.
  6. ^ United States Census, 1930.
  7. ^ "Club Elects Franc Dillon". The Los Angeles Times. December 10, 1930. p. 29.
  8. ^ "Edward Dillon". The New York Times. July 12, 1933. p. 17. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "Edward Dillon". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  10. ^ "Edward Dillon". AllMovie. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  11. ^ The Evening Star (Washington, DC), 12 July 1933, p. 24.
  12. ^ "Director Edward Dillon Burned Out". The Moving Picture World. 24 (13): 2108. June 26, 1915 – via Internet Archive.
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